The Zhang Zhixian 张志仙

Zhang Zhixian was a figure in the early Yuan Dynasty, with the literary name Xuanyizi.

At the end of the Zhiyuan era of the Yuan Dynasty, he inherited the leadership of the Quanzhen School of Taoism.

In the 28th year of the Zhiyuan era (1291), Prime Minister Xiangge was dismissed and executed. After Emperor Chengzong of the Yuan Dynasty ascended the throne, he followed the imperial mandate to lift the strict ban (on Taoism) on a large scale. As a result, the Quanzhen School was able to recover: Buddhist monks returned the farmlands and official Taoist temples they had seized; Taoist practitioners and senior Confucian scholars were granted freedom of belief; and Taoist rituals of the "Golden Register" (a major Taoist ritual system for praying, repentance, etc.) were permitted to be conducted independently, with the only restriction that they should not involve Buddhist doctrines.

Zhang Zhixian was summoned again by the imperial court and bestowed with a precious crown, a jade tablet (a symbol of authority in ancient China), and a purple brocade Taoist robe. He was also given the title of "Great Master Xuanyi" and appointed as the administrator of the Precious Register Academy of Changchun Palace (a core temple of the Quanzhen School).

From then on, he vigorously promoted the spiritual influence of Taoism. He held the position of leader of the Quanzhen School for eight years, from the 31st year of the Zhiyuan era to the 6th year of the Dade era (1294-1302).

(From Epitaph of Changchun Palace)